The True Cost of Free Online Shipping: More Commercial Truck Accidents
The decline of Black Friday and the rise of Cyber Monday show a growing trend; more and more of us are turning to online shopping as a convenient alternative to brick and mortar stores during the holidays. The pricing is better, and most retailers even offer free shipping at the busiest time of year. Unfortunately, that free shipping comes at a steep cost.
More trucks and more orders mean more accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2016 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics, almost 11 million commercial trucks moved over 14.5 billion tons of freight more than 279 billion miles. The holidays account for a significant part of that freight and those miles.
KENS5 Eyewitness News reported on the rising online shopping trend, saying “Amazon.com is the number one go-to for holiday shoppers… Last year on cyber Monday alone Amazon customers ordered 54 million items. That’s 629 items per second. “ That number is expected to be even larger this year, and every single one of those items gets to its destination on a commercial truck of one kind or another.
The massive amount of items making their way to customers around the country means more than just money; it means more trucks on the road, more miles traveled, and more accidents. It’s inevitable; drivers are pushed harder to make deadlines, fatigue sets in, and small distractions cause big accidents. More trucks are going to be on the road this holiday season than ever before, and those trucks are going to make travel more dangerous for you and your family.
When commercial trucks crash, the consequences can be disastrous. Passenger vehicles simply can’t protect occupants during a collision with 80,000lbs of metal and cargo, but staying off the road entirely just isn’t an option. We hope your family has a safe and happy holiday. We can’t protect you on the road, but the experienced South Carolina commercial truck attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC can help fight for your family in court. If your loved one was injured or killed in a commercial truck accident, we can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you deserve. Call 803-327-7800 or contact us today for a free consultation.
Randy is the former President of the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been certified by the American Board of Professional Liability as a specialist in Medical Malpractice Law which is recognized by the South Carolina Bar. Randy has also been awarded the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” 10 times in the last decade. He has over 25 years of experience helping injured people fight back against corporations, hospitals and wrong-doers.
Read more about S. Randall Hood